Street-railway switch



(No Model.) 6-Sheets-Sheet 1. J. H. WILLIAMS. STREET RAILWAY SWITCH.

' No. 434,692. Pa'tented Aug. 19,1890.

(No Model.) 6 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. H. WILLIAMS. STREET RAILWAY SWITGH.

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(No Model.) 6 SheetsSheet 3. J. H. WILLIAMS.

STREET RAILWAY SWITCH.

No. 434,692. Patented Aug. 19, 1890.

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No. 434,692. Patented Aug. 19, 1890.

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J. H. WILLIAMS. STREET RAILWAY SWITCH.

No. 434,692. Patented Aug 19,1890.

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JOHN H. WVILLIAMS, OF BOSTON, ASSIGNOR OF TW'O-THIRDS TO BENJAMIN F.BARNARD, OF WAKEFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

STREET-RA] LWAY SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 434,692, dated August19, 1890.

Application filed April 12,180. $eria1No.347,707. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN H. \VrLLIAMs, of Boston, in the county ofSuffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Street-Railway Switches, of which the following in aspecification.

This invention relates to street-railwayswitches in which a circulartable provided on its upper surface with suitable rail-treads isincorporated into a track, the table being adapted to partly rotate, sothat it can occupy two positions, one of which causes it to make themain line continuous, while the other I 5 causes it to open the mainline, or, in other words, connect it with a branch or siding.

The invention has for its object to provide a simple and compact switchof this class adapted to be set in either position by the use of amovable attachment on a car moving over the track; and to this end itconsists in the improvements. which I will now proceed to describe andclaim.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a 2 5 part of this specification,Figure 1 represents a perspective view of the switch-table and trackwith a portion of a car and the switchoperating attachment thereon. Fig.1 represents a top view of the casing under the ta- 0 ble, showing amodification, hereinafter referred to. Fig. 2 represents a top View ofthe table. Fig. 3 represents a top view of the easin g with the tableremoved. Fig. 4 represents a bottom view of the table. Figs. 5 and 6 5represent top views of the table and portions of the track. Fig. 7represents a section on line 7 7, Fig. 2, looking toward the left. Fig.8 represents a section on line 8 8, Fig. 2. Fig. 9 represents asectionon line 9 9,Fig. 2. Fig. 10 representsa section showing the table whenturned to its switch-opening position. Fig. 11 represents a front viewof the switch-operating attachment on the car. Fig. 12 represents a topview of the switch-table and a portion of the track. Figs. 13 and 1erepresent top views of the casing, the switch-table being removed, whilethe parts connected with the table are shown in their proper positions.Fig. 15 represents a perspective view of the casing and table, partsbeing broken away.

The same letters and figures of reference indicate the same parts in allthe figures.

In the drawings, it represents a circular casing composed of ahorizontal flat base and a circular wall, the base having at itscenteran upwardly-projecting socket or bearing 4, concentric with the wall.

1) represents a circular table or platform having a central stud 5entering the bearing l, the platform being thus adapted to rotate, itsmarginal portion bearing on the upper edge of the wall of the casing,which edge is provided with a groove 0, receiving a tongue or rib (Z onthe under side of the table. Said groove receives oil, which constitutesa seal to prevent the entrance of water into the easing between theupper edge of the wall and the under side of the table. The uppersurface of the table is provided with track-tread sections, preferablyarranged as shown in Letters Patent No. 41.15%, dated October 22, 1889,to permit the table to serve as a switch, which in one position makescontinuous the main-track rail, of which it forms a part, and when inanother position connects one division of said main-track rail with abranch rail diverging from the main track, as described in theabove-named patent.

The casing a is supported on a suitable bed, and is provided with earsor brackets'e e, which are attached to the periphery of the casing andproject outwardly therefrom in pairs, the ears of one pair beingarranged to bear on opposite sides of the web f of one division g of themain-track rail with which the switch is connected, while the ears ofthe other pair are arranged to bear on the web of the fixed frog h,which constitutes the connection between the switch-table, the otherdivision g of the main-track rail, and the branch rail g", said earsbeing securely bolted to said rail and frog-webs. The switch-table isnormally held bya spring i in the position shown in Figs. 2 and 5,making the main track continuous, said spring being attached at one endto an ear j on the casing and atits other end to an arm 70, projectingdownwardly from the under side of the switch-table. Said arm in isformed to bear against a shoulder or stop m in the casing, said stopdeterminroo ing the position in which the table is held by the spring.

n 0 represent two vertically-movable studs, which are adapted to slidein sockets in the switch-table at one side of the center of rotationthereof, each stud being adapted to project above theswitch-table farenough to be engaged by an attachment on a car. Said attachment is shownas a shoe 1), attached to a rod g, which is vertically movable in aguideor socket 0', attached to the car-platform, the upper end of the rodbeing formed as a pedal to be depressed by the driver or motor-man. Theshoe is provided with two acting faces 2 3, the face 2 beinglower thantheface 3. The lower face 2 has at its front end a shoulder adapted tostrike the side of the stud it when the shoe is depressed and is movingover the switch-platform for the purpose of moving said platform fromthe position shown in Figs. 2 and 5 to that shown in Figs. 1 and 6. Thehigher face 3 of the shoe presents an inclined surface adapted to strikethe other stud 0 of the switch-table anddepress said stud for thepurpose of releasing the switch-table from the position shown in Figs. 1and 6 and permitting the spring 1' to restore it to the position shownin Figs. 2 and 5, the table being automatically locked when moved to theposition shown in Figs. 1 and 6 and requiring an unlocking or releasingoperation before it can resume its normal position, as presentlydescribed. When the table is in its normal position, Figs. 2 and 5, thestud n is held in its elevated position, as shown in Fig. 9, by means ofa curved guide attached to the bottom of the casing and presenting twoinclines s 8, said guide being arranged to support the lower end of thestud n, the incline 3 being formed to raise the stud nwhen it is movingfrom the position shown in Fig. 10 to that shown in Fig. 0. WVhen theswitch is to be turned to its open position, Figs. 1 and 6, the driverdepresses the shoe and causes the shoulder on the face 2 to strike thestud n, as shown in Fig. 9, and thereby turn the switch to its openposition, the said stud being depressed below the face 2 just as thetable reaches said position by the contact of a lever twith a fixedincline u in the casing, said lever being pivoted at one end to the studn and at its center to an car on the ca ble. The contact of the leverwith the incline it forces the stud n downwardly, as shown in Fig. 10.

During the last-described movement of the table the other stud o israised from the position shown in Fig. 9 by contact of its lower endwith the incline s. Said stud 0 is pivoted at its lower end to one endof a lockinglever 1*, which is centrally pivoted to an ear on the table.The other end of the lever o is depressed by the upward movement of thestud 0, and is thereby caused to engage a fixed shoulder win the casingand thereby hold the switch-table in its .open position against the pullof the spring 1', which tends to restore said table to its normalposition. The switch-table is now locked in the position shown in Figs.1 andli, and remains in said position until the shoe of an approachingcar is depressed by the driver. this is done, the inclined face 3 ofsaid shoe strikes the stud 0, as shown in Fig. 10, and by depressing thelatter throws the lockingleverv upwardly, thus releasing the table andpermitting the spring 2' to restore it to its normal position.

It will be seen that by thus providing the rotary switch-table with aspring adapted to hold it yieldingly in its normal position,with

a stud which is elevated when the table is in its normal position andpermits the movement of the switch from its normal position by anattachment on the car, and with a looking device which actsautomatically to lock the switch in the position to which itis moved bythe car and is adapted to be made inoperative by an attachment on asucceeding car, the apparatus is made much more simple and compact thanheretofore, and that the expense and difficulty of applying theswitchtable to the track are materially reduced.

A modification of the spring which holds the table in its normalposition is shown in Fig. 1, said spring being coiled at its inner endand there attached to the casing, while its outer end is attached to thearm of the table.

To prevent the entrance of water into the casing around the studs n 0, Isecure packings m, Fig. 8, to the under side of the table I), saidpackings being here shown as rubber rings surrounding and bearingclosely on the studs and held by metallic rings y, which are secured tothe table. These packings and the oil-receiving grooves in the wall ofthe casing and the rib d onthe table entirely exclude water from theinterior of the casing.

I claim-- v 1. A pivoted switch-table yieldingly held in its normalposition and provided with a ver- IIO tically-lnovable stud and with alocking device, both adapted to co-operate, as described, withattachments on approaching cars, com bined with a casing or supportbelow the switch-table, and devices on said support whereby the stud israised by the movement of the table to its normal position and permittedto descend during the movement of the table from its normal position, asset forth.

2. A pivoted switch-table yieldingly held in its normal position andprovided with a A vertically-movable stud n, adapted to be engaged by aswitch-moving attachment on a car, and with a pivoted locking-leverhaving a vertically-movable stud 0, adapted to be depressed by anunlocking attachment on a car, combined with a fixed support under thetable, having an incline, as .9, adapted to raise the stud nduring themovement of the switchtable to its normal position, and another in- Icline, as 8, adapted to raise the locking-lever stud during the movementof the table away from its normal position, as set forth.

3. The combination of arotaryswitch-table, a spring which yieldinglyholds the table in its normal position, a vertically-movable studcarried by said table, means for raising said stud when the table is inits normal position, said stud when raised enabling the table to bemoved from its normal position by an attachment on a car, and a lockingdevice carried by said table, whereby the latter may be locked when outof its normal position, said locking device being adapted to be madeinoperative by an attachment on a car following the one which caused themovement of the table from its normal position, as set forth.

4. The combination of a rotary switch-table,

a casing below the same having a curved.

guide, as s s, a vertically-movable stud n in the table, arranged to beraised and lowered by said guide, a spring yieldingly connecting I thetable and casing and adapted to hold the table in its normal position, alocking-lever pivotally connected to the table, and a stud 0, connectedwith the locking-lever and passing through the table, as set forth.

5. The combination of the rotary switch-tabie, the casing below thesame, the curved guide having inclines s s and incline u, attached tothe casing, the stud n, vertically movable in the table and adapted tobe raised by the curved guide into position to be acted on by aswitch-moving device on a car, and

the lever 15, pivoted to the table and to the stud n and adapted tocooperate with the fixed incline uin depressing said stud at the end ofthe movement imparted to the switch-table by the device on the car, asset forth.

6. Thec'ombination of the rotary switch-table, the casin g below thesame, the curved guide having inclines s s and incline u, attached tothe casing, the stud n, vertically movable in the table and adapted tobe raised by the curved guide into position to be acted on by aswitch-moving device on a car, the locking-lever v, pivoted to thetable, and the stud o, pivoted to said lever and adapted to be raised bythe incline s, and thereby engage the locking-lever with a fixedshoulder in the casing, the raising of the stud o adapting it to besubsequently depressed by a device on a car to make the locking-leverinoperative, as set forth.

7. The combination of the switch-table, the casing supporting the same,and the rail securin g ears or brackets e e e 8, attached in pairs tosaid table, the ears of each pair being separated bya space ofsufficient width to receive the web f of a rail, as set forth.

8. The casing having a circular wall grooved at its upper edge, combinedwith the circular switch-table having an annular rib entering saidgroove, the latter being adapted to receive oil to seal the jointbetween the walls of the groove and the surfaces of the rib, as setforth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses, this 4th day of April, A. D.1890.

v JOHN H. WILLIAMS. Witnesses:

(J. F. BROWN, A. D. HARRISON.

